Chandrayaan 3 updates: Vikram Lander establishes communication with Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, says ISRO

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh asserted on Monday that India has taken a quantum leap in space technology under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and has taken the lead in using it for aiding infrastructure and development works as well.

With the country waiting with bated breath for Chandrayaan-3's scheduled touchdown on the lunar surface on Wednesday, Singh expressed confidence about its success and added that India will launch its first preliminary mission later this year in the run-up to its manned Gaganyaan mission, expected in the second half of 2024. (PTI)

The rover Pragyan on the other hand, carries an Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) to determine the elements in the landing site's vicinity.

Once the Lander Module reaches the Moon's surface, the lander Vikram will deploy its payloads. These include Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) for measuring temperature and thermal conductivity. Another payload, the Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA), will measure seismic activity around the landing site. The Langmuir Probe (LP) will estimate plasma density and changes. A passive Laser Retroreflector Array from NASA will be used for lunar laser studies. (Part-2)

The Lander Module, which includes the lander Vikram and the rover Pragyan, was separated from the Propulsion Module within the spacecraft on Thursday. The Propulsion Module which will remain in Moon's orbit for months or years, has an attached payload known as the Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE), to study Earth's spectral and polarimetric measurements from the moon's orbit. In simpler terms, SHAPE will analyse certain signatures of Earth's light. (Part- 1)

India and the world await a historic landing on the southern pole of the Moon as the countdown for the same by Chandrayaan-3 mission begins. The spacecraft has completed all orbit and deboosting maneuvers. It's now aiming to find the perfect spot for a soft landing on the Moon's challenging terrain. Read full story

Actor Prakash Raj broke silence on Twitter after he was criticised by many on the internet for sharing a Chandrayaan-3 post. Explaining the post, the actor gave a strong reply to trolls and clarified that he was referring to a joke. The internet has mixed reactions to his explanation. Read full story

"On August 23, two hours before Chandrayaan-3 lands on the Moon, we will take a decision on whether or not it will be appropriate to land it at that time based on the health of the lander module and the conditions on the Moon. In case, if any factor appears to be not favourable, then we will land the module on the Moon on August 27. No problem should occur and we will be able to land the module on August 23," Nilesh M Desai, Director, Space Applications Centre-ISRO, Ahmedabad told ANI. 

1. ISRO on Sunday informed that the Lander Module is in 25 km x 134 km orbit. 

2. “Powered descent is expected to commence on August 23, 2023, around 1745 Hrs. IST” said ISRO. 

1. All systems on an Indian spacecraft heading to the moon are working "perfectly" and no contingencies are anticipated on the landing day, the country's space agency said on Monday, days after the failure of a Russian lander.

2. India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is on course to land on Aug. 23 on the lunar south pole, a region where shadowed craters are thought to contain water ice which could support a future moon settlement. (Reuters)

“A lot of people are going to be glued to watching it. I am going to be doing that with my boys as well, with bated breath,” says actor Kareena Kapoor.

The Chandrayaan-3 is the third edition of the Moon mission series, which, if everything goes as planned, will achieve a "soft landing" on the lunar surface's south pole, making India the first country to do so and the fourth country after the US, China, and the former Soviet Union to ever land on the Moon's surface. Read full story

The spacecraft consists of indigenous propulsion module, lander module, and a rover with an objective of “developing and demonstrating new technologies required for interplanetary missions. Read full story

The Lander Module, which will soon touch the south pole of the Moon, consists of the lander Vikram and the rover Pragyan. The lander has been named ‘Vikram’ after Vikram Sarabhai (1919–1971), who is widely regarded as the father of the Indian space programme and the founder of our country's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

• Safe and soft landing demonstration on the lunar surface

• Rover roving demonstration on the moon

• Execution of in-situ scientific experiments

Chandrayaan-3's Vikram Lander established communication with the orbiter of the already present Chandrayaan-2 on Mo as it embarks on the historic “soft-landing” on the Moon surface, the Indian Space Research Organisation said.

Chandrayaan-2 is the previous edition of India's lunar mission.

“‘Welcome, buddy!’ Ch-2 orbiter formally welcomed Ch-3 LM. Two-way communication between the two is established. MOX has now more routes to reach the LM. Update: Live telecast of Landing event begins at 17:20 Hrs. IST,” ISRO wrote on X. Read full story on Chandrayaan 3 latest update

Chandrayaan-3 LIVE news: LANDER: The lander and rover’s names have been taken from the last mission Chandrayaan-2. The lander is named after Dr Vikram A Sarabhai, the father of the Indian Space Programme. 

– It is designed to function for one lunar day, which is 14 days on the Earth and comes with a number of sensors to ensure a safe touchdown. It weighs about 1,749 kg including the rover. 

– It is built to have side-mounted solar panels, which can generate 738 W power and will be engaged in exploring the lunar south pole.

ROVER

– The robotic vehicle is named as ‘Pragyan’, which translates to 'wisdom' in Sanskrit. The six-wheeled vehicle has instruments configured with payloads to provide data related to the Moon's surface. 

– It will gather data on the elemental composition of the atmosphere. It weighs 26 kgs and like the lander, has a mission life of one lunar day.

Chandrayaan-3 LIVE updates: The spacecraft shared its first-ever images of the Moon and they look stunning! As the spacecraft of the ambitious Chandrayaan-3 mission entered the lunar orbit on Saturday. See here.

Chandrayaan 3 LIVE updates: Former director of ISRO, K Sivan said Monday, "Last time after the landing process, we had gone through the data...Based on that, corrective measures have been taken. 

– Sivan was referring to Chandrayaan-2, the moon mission launched in September 2019 that failed in its final stages.

– “Not only that, we did something more than what we corrected. Wherever the margins are less, we enhanced those margins...Based on the lessons we learnt from Chandrayaan 2, the system is going with more ruggedness…” he further said.

Chandrayaan-3 LIVE updates: If successful, the achievement will put India among the elite club of nations to have achieved the feat of soft landing on moon, namely the United States, China and the former Soviet Union.

Chandrayaan-3 LIVE updates: The lander and rover’s names have been taken from the last mission Chandrayaan-2. 

– The lander is named after Dr Vikram A Sarabhai, the father of the Indian Space Programme.

– The robotic vehicle is named as ‘Pragyan’, which translates to 'wisdom' in Sanskrit. The six-wheeled vehicle has instruments configured with payloads to provide data related to the Moon's surface.

Chandrayaan-3 LIVE updates: Russian space agency Roscosmos launched Luna 25 moon mission to the lunar south pole, following India's Chandrayaan-3 mission. 

– Roscosmos had stated that its Luna 25 spacecraft will take about five days to travel to the Moon but the mission failed towards its final stages. What happened to Luna-25?

Chandrayaan 3 Live Updates: The Chandrayaan-3 mission underwent a second and final deboosting operation bringing its Lander Module nearer to Moon, the Isro said on Sunday. 

– The deboosting operation has reduced the orbit of the Lander Module to 25 km x 134 km. 

– The Indian Space Research Organisation said the module would undergo internal checks and await the sunrise at the designated landing site.